Santech designs and manufactures scoreboards for any sport, and it makes LED displays for other outside and interior uses.

In one of the biggest deals in the company's 15-year history, Santech recently delivered 12 custom-designed scoreboards to Disney's Wide World of Sports complex in Orlando.

The largest scoreboard -- a 40-foot by 20-foot display -- was built for the Cracker Jack Stadium at the complex, which is the site for the Atlanta Braves spring training.

"I think there are only three or four companies in the United States that can supply scoreboards like we did for this project," Kunis said. "This puts us in competition with them, and they are the big guys in the industry."

The deal amounted to about $150,000 for Santech, but it also gives the company great visibility. Kunis said Santech is getting inquiries and requests for quotes for similar modular displays with large-sized digits.

Amateur and professional sports teams come from all over the world to the Disney sports complex to compete in or watch events, some of which are televised.

Facilities at Wide World of Sports include a baseball quadraplex with four professional fields and a practice infield, four softball diamonds and multi-sports fields.

Santech's large scoreboard for Cracker Jack Stadium has 24-inch high digits on the top two rows and 30-inch digits on the lower two rows, a design customized for Disney.

Disney engineering and manufacturing officials did not immediately return calls requesting information about the scoreboards. Nick Vouris, Santech's sales and marketing director, said the entertainment giant requested certain options.

"We changed the digits and the size of boards, and then took a board over for evaluation," he said. "The whole deal took about six months, but it worked out great. We're the little guy in a crowded field, so we can customize rather than force customers to compromise."

Although baseball and football clients are the company's major markets, Santech has designed and manufactured scoreboards for curling, shuffleboard, bowling, hockey, polo and paintball.

The company's displays are at the International Field Hockey Championship field in Alexandria, Egypt; the University of Guadalajara, Mexico; Antigua, and the University of South Florida.

About 5 percent of the company's sales are to international clients, Vouris said.

John Franzone, director of event productions of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, formerly worked at Disney's Wide World of Sports. He also was stadium director for the New York Yankees for 10 years.

The scoreboard at a baseball game is similar to a pinata at a party, he said.

"It is the focal point at a game," Franzone said. "You better have a good one. It's just not debatable."

Scoreboards are an expensive and necessary part of sports businesses, especially at places such as Disney, he said.

"It's all eye candy," Franzone said. "It's not uncommon to tailor a display to a facility because entertainment is a prime consideration. You're spending a lot of money on these systems."

Visibility and reliability are key, he said.

Santech's hardware and software are modular, which cuts down on customizing costs and provides versatility.

The company uses power line technology for scoreboard control. The technology transmits commands to the board over existing power lines at a facility, making it easier to install displays, Vouris said.

It also eliminates expensive cables that can cause reliability and maintenance problems, he said.

The boards are manufactured from box tube aluminum, which makes them thin and lightweight and capable of supporting different displays.

Kunis recently moved the company to a 17,000-square-foot facility just off Ulmerton Road to enable Santech to manufacture large displays. He also has his eye on a new market -- the Florida Lottery display boards.

"We tripled our manufacturing capacity, and we can build large numbers for all kinds of outside displays," he said. "I'm thinking about electronic digits for the lottery."

By Jane Meinhardt